To our mind, what Rob Shanahan
does for a living hardly qualifies as work, but it is a job. Shanahan is Ringo Starr’s personal photographer, which means he spends an awful lot of time with the Beatles’ drummer, especially when Ringo hits the road with his All Starr Band. The group, which this year includes Toto’s Steve Lukather
, Santana alum Gregg Rolie
, and Todd Rundgren, among others, is at the Bank of America Pavilion Tuesday. The night before, Shanahan will be at the Hard Rock Cafe signing copies of his book, “Volume 1: Behind the Lens of Music Photographer Rob Shanahan,” which includes images of rock icons ranging from Keith Richards and Paul McCartney to Tommy Lee and Eddie Van Halen. “I want everyone to look as good as possible,” Shanahan told us Friday. “I’m not one of those photographers that want the gotcha moment. I do get plenty of those photos, but no one ever sees them.” Shanahan, who plays drums in a Rolling Stones cover band when he’s not shooting, said he and Ringo have been working together since 2005. In that time, he said, there have been plenty of memorable experiences. “When the Stones were in LA to play at Dodgers Stadium, me, Ringo, Charlie [Watts], and Jim Keltner
hung out at Ringo’s place. That was fun.” And why does Ringo like working with Shanahan? “He’s taken the last two covers for my last two CDs because I want it easy. I don’t want to go to your studio, I don’t want your makeup,” Ringo said. “Let’s just put a white sheet in the drive and shoot the shot,” he says, laughing. “It doesn’t have to be busy anymore. Let’s just have fun.”